Dry-kiln



(No MoueL) I 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

v L. EMERSON. DRY KILN.

No. 554,251. P5555555 P55. 11, 1896 (No Models) 2- sheetssheet 2.

v. L. EMERSON DRY KILN.

No. 554,251. I Patented Feb. 11, 1896.

)hfzzeaes: Motor ljesme man, Inventor NITED STATES EMERSON COMPANY,

OF VEST VIRGINIA.

DRY-KILN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,251, dated February 1 1 1896.

Application filed a c 2, 1895- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,VIOTOR LEE EMERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dry- Kilns; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in lumber-dryin g kilns of that class in which the material to be dried is placed upon trucks and run into the kiln, where it is subjected to the influence of the heated air forced up through the spaces between the material, which air is heated by means of steam-pipes located between the tracks and finally discharged from the drying-chamber.

The present invention has for its objects, among others, to provide an improved kiln of this character in which the material will be more uniformly dried, and in which provision is made for regulating the circulation of the air and for regulating also its egress from the drying-chamber, so that it may be caused to seek its discharge therefrom either by compression or by reason of the freeventilation created by reason of the adjustment of the valves at the discharge point. I provide means whereby theheated air, after it has done its duty within the drying-chamber as an absorbing agent and has become fully saturated with moisture, is utilized to primarily heat the incoming cold air to prevent condensation in the steanrpipes, and materially lessening the amount of steam required to maintain a desired temperature throughout, then to heat the walls of the drying-chamber. The walls of the drying-chamber are provided with perforations which are so distributed as to cause an even circulation of the'air from the top to the bottom of the material in the drying-chamber. The floor of the drying-chamber is a double one, having perforations through which pass the short vertical tubes or passages which conduct the Serial No. 540,327. (No model.)

air into the chamber and which are traversed by the air which has performed its function within the drying-chamber and is on its way to the outlet-point.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by theappended claims.

The invention in this instance resides in the peculiar combinations and the construction, arrangement and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, an d then particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference markedthereon, form a part throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the draw ings by letter, A designates the outer wall of the kiln, which may be of any suitable construction, and at one end provided with a suitable opening closed by suitable door or doors hung upon ropes or chains with counterbalance-weights in a manner common in this class of devices. At the sides and top of the kiln are provided the double walls forming the passages 13, which at their lower end communicate with a chamber 0 formed between the double floor D D, as seen best in Fig. 1. A horizontal partition or under fioor E provides a space or chamber E beneath. the lowermost of the double floors, and with this space communicates the opening D in the end of the kiln through which the cold air is admitted, and the admission of the air is regulated by a valve 0 hinged or pivoted, as seen in Fig. 2, and held in its adjusted position by any suitable means, as by the means shown in Fig. 2.

The space above and below the double floor D D is connected by short vertical tubes or air-passages F held in the double floor, as shown, and above this double floor is the sup port G for the tracks G, and the steam-pipes II, all as shown in Fig. 1. Along the sides of the inner walls of the drying-chamber are the walks H H, which are in close proximity to the material being dried, and serve to pre vent the heated air from ascending and disturbing the down passage of the saturated air. The steam pipes or radiators are of suit able construction, and connected with a suitable heat-supply to afford a circulation therethrough in the manner common in this class of devices.

I I are the wheels of the truck, running upon tracks within the chamber, and 1 rep resents the material supported thereupon.

J is the exterior platform, upon which the trucks or material may be run to enter the kiln.

The passages B extend from the sides of the dryingchamber upward along the under side of the roof and terminate at the apex, where they communicate with the passages K which are controlled by the adjustable valves K, which are so constructed as to permit of the regulation of the egress of the air and to permit of either a varied compression or a free draft to aid in the discharge of the air.

The walls of the drying-chamber are practically sealed air-tight, with the exceptions of minute perforations L in the inner walls thereof between alternate studding upon the opposite sides of the chamber, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these perforations being uniformly placed as shown, so as to provide an even and uniform circulation of the air from the top to the bottom of the material within the drying-chamber.

M is a reliefvalve arranged in one of the side walls of the drying-chamber and arranged to work automatically to open an d relieve the pressure when the same becomes too great. This is a well-known provision in this class of kilns, and a further description thereof is not necessary.

WVith the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above outlined the operation is as follows: The material is placed within the drying-chamber in the usual manner, as shown, and the cold air is admitted through the opening D and passes into the space or chamber beneath the lower floor E, and from thence passes upward through the preferably vertical tubes F or passages, as indicated by the arrows, and from thence into contact with the steam-pipes; and as it becomes heated it rises, and passing through the spaces between the lumber rises to the top of the lumber and then passes downward, and after it becomes thoroughly saturated with the moisture it passes out through the perforations L down into the space between the two floors D D and thence upward and through the passages B out through the openings K, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

Heretofore it has been the custom to heat the cold air by allowing it to come in direct contact with the fully-saturated air from the chamber that has performed its work and is being or has been discharged from the kiln. I have found from experience that by so heatin g the cold air it absorbs moisture in proportion to the degree to which it is heated and also becomes moist. The moist air had more cooling effect upon the steam-pipes with which it came in contact than if dry cold air had been admitted, thereby causing greater c011- densation and requiring more steam to keep the chamber heated and to maintain a uniform desired temperature. It will be observed that I prevent the direct contact of the incoming and outgoing air and yet utilize the latter to heat the former. .I deem it important that the air be passed through the passages into contact with which the outgoing saturated air is brought, as shown,whereby heat is imparted ,to the passages and the deleterious effects above enumerated are obviated.

The form shown in Fig. 3 embodies all the essential features of construction involved in the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the inner walls of the drying-chamber being alternately perforated upon alternately opposite sides, as shown, and the short vertical tubes and passages being substantially the same 3 but in the form illustrated in Fig. 5 there is a double track adapted for two sets of trucks, having two wheels instead of three abreast, as in the construction shown in said Figs. 1 and 2. In this form the deflectors II are pres ent, as is also a central deflectorNat the top and between the two sets of trucks, so that the air as it rises will be deflected outward from the center and through and over the material upon the trucks, as illustrated by the arrows. In this form there is a central platform 0 between the tracks for the passage of the attendant when necessary.

The operation is the same as that described in connection with the other form. The arrows in all of the views illustrate the course of the air in all of its movements and directions from the time it enters the kiln until it passes out through the openings or passages at the apex of the roof. The perforations in the inner walls of the drying-chamber preferably terminate at a point below the top of the material so as to cause the air to pass downward from over the top of the material, as indicated by the arrows.

Importance is attached to the vertical passages whereby the heated saturated air that has performed its work is utilized to heat the cold incoming air without being brought into direct contact there with, and to the uniformlydistributed perforations in the inner walls of the dryingchamber, as well as to the air-passages between the side walls of the chamber and along the roof, with the adjustable valves at the apex of the roof.

While in the present application I have described short vertical tubes as a means for introduoing the cold air to the drying-chamber, I do not wish to limit myself to the use of these tubes, as it is at once evident that any other form of air-passage which may be adapted to such use may be employed in place of the tubes.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

WVhat I claim to be new, and desire to scour by Letters Patent, is

1. A dry-kiln having separated floors beneath its heating-pipes, passages for admitting air through said floor, and means for causing the exhaust-air to pass through the chamber formed between the floors in contact with the passages for admitting the cold air, whereby the cold air is heated by the exhaustair, substantially as specified.

2. Adry-kiln having a portion of the spaces between its wall-j oists imperforate and a portion perforated, the passages which communicate with the interior of the kiln extending along the roof to the apex thereof, whereby the air from the drying-chamber is caused to pass through said passages and out through openings at the apex of the roof, substantially as specified.

3. A dry-kiln having perforated side walls, exhaust-passages at the sides and along the roof, a fresh-air-heatin g chamber beneath the kiln connected with the air-exhaust passages and also with separate passages along the opposite side of the kiln and roof, both passages being provided with Valves at the apex of the roof so arranged asto cause the air to make a complete circuit around the walls of the building, or to pass directly from the inlet to the outlet-valve, substantially as shown and described.

4:. The dry-kiln herein described, having perforated side walls, air passages at the sides and leading to the apex of the roof, a double floor, short vertical air-passages connecting the space above with that below the floor, adjustable valves at the apex of the roof, with inlet air-passages which are located in the path of the outgoing saturated air, whereby the incoming air is partially heated substantially as described.

5. In a dry-kiln of the character described, a drying-chamber, an air-chamber, a chamber intermediate of the drying-chamber and the air-inlet chamber, said intermediate chamber having air-passages through which the incoming air is passed and is heated in its passage to the drying-chamber, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of'two witnesses.

VICTOR LEE EMERSON.

Vitnesses:

MoRvnN THoMPsoN, FRANKLIN H. HoUeH. 

